Beringer Vineyards, St. Helena
The Berginger Vineyards Estate is Napa Valley’s longest continually operating winery and one of the most historic (in fact, it was designated a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places). We were lucky enough to pop in for a visit this November!
When we arrived at Beringer, the first thing you notice is the gorgeous and stately Rhine House - a shining example of Victorian architecture with it’s turrets and gables. The stonework, stained glass and wood paneling lend itself to German architecture styles, which speak to the Beringer family’s roots (dating back to 1800s Germany).
View from the hilltop
Our journey took us through the old/original winery built in 1876 on a hillside. At the time, horses would bring the harvested grapes up the hill and up to the third floor of the winery. There grapes were crushed, and the pressed juice flowed down to the second floor for fermentation. Following fermentation, the resulting wine then flowed down to the ground floor, where it was stored and aged in large oak casks. This wine making process which relied heavily on gravity, was custom in the Rhine Valley - where the Beringer Brothers hailed from.
After tasting a few of their wines - 2020 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2020 Beringer’s Carneros Chardonnay (my favorite), and the 2020 Carneros Pinot Noir - we went through the preserved wine caves, which were dug into the hillside from the 1870s-1880s. We learned more about the winemakers of Beringer throughout the years as well as the winery’s portfolio of vineyards throughout Napa Valley. This collection ranges from vineyards in the St. Helena AVA - known for it’s diverse soil and consistent warm weather, Howell Mountain AVA - one of the first mountainous nested appellation established, sitting 1400 feet above sea level, Knights Valley AVA - Sonoma’s warmest AVA, and a number of vineyards scattered across Oakville, Oak Knoll, Mt. Veeder, Spring Mountain, Carneros and Yountville.
All in all, visiting the estate was lovely - and seeing the fall foliage was an extra bonus! However, while I loved learning all about the Berginer family history, I probably would have enjoyed the visit more had we focused on the vineyards, land and impact of the environment on the wines. Definitely would recommend a visit here if you haven’t been!
